Portelet House Care Home

Updated 4 October 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. This was a targeted inspection to check on a concern we had about the risk management within the home.

As part of this inspection, we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Portelet House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Portelet House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and safeguarding teams. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 5 members of staff including the operations manager, the registered manager, care workers and housekeeping staff. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We made general observations of interactions between staff and people. We reviewed 5 people’s care and support records which included risk assessments, care plans and a selection of the providers policies and procedures related to the safe running of the home.

Updated 4 October 2023

Portelet House Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Portelet House Care Home was registered for 15 people. There were 14 older people living in the home at the time of our inspection. The home is an adapted building in a residential area of Bournemouth. People had a variety of care and support needs related to their physical and mental health. The majority of people living in the home had needs associated with dementia.

This unannounced inspection took place on 26 January 2019.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated good.

People continued to receive a service that was safe. The registered manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There were enough staff to safely provide care and support to people. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability to support vulnerable people. Medicines were mostly well managed and people received their medicines as prescribed. Information about when to give some medicines was checked and recorded following our visit. The home was clean and staff followed the providers infection control policy and procedures.

The service remained effective in meeting people’s needs. People were cared for by staff who felt supported and had access to effective training. People had access to healthcare professionals for both ongoing and emergency treatments. The manager and staff worked to ensure people's rights were respected. People were supported to enjoy a healthy and varied diet. The environment had been decorated to reflect the needs of people living in the home.

The service continues to be caring. Staff were motivated to provide a caring service to people. They spoke warmly of people and worked in ways that respected and promoted their dignity.

The service was responsive to people’s needs. People’s preferences were evident in their care plans and the staff understood how they communicated their wishes and emotions. Changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and their care was amended accordingly. People and their relatives felt able to make requests, raise concerns and express their views. They felt listened to by care staff and the management team. We have made a recommendation about the recording of discussions with people about their end of life wishes.

The service continues to be well led. Staff understood their roles and shared the vision of ensuring a homely environment where people received personalised care. The manager had applied to be registered with the Care Quality Commission and demonstrated their commitment to ensuring positive outcomes for people and staff and improving the quality of people’s experience. There were processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who used the service.